Recruiting Rukia
by novicestar
Summary: How do Isshin and Urahara get Rukia to agree to be the one to use the sword filled with reiatsu to reinstate Ichigo's powers? My take on what might of happened when they approached her with the idea. Two-shot! Finished! A hint of one-sided IchiRuki.
1. Decisions

**Just a quick one shot. I know it's not fully cannon – I reworked some of it so it'd make sense here. I know I haven't done any more of my multi-chap fics, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone!**

**Hope you like it, please review!**

**Perhaps, when I get the chance, I could make this multi-chap? If you guys want me to that is!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Novicestar**

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><p>"I'd like to request that Kuchiki Rukia be the one to transfer the shinigami powers to my son."<p>

"Kurosaki Isshin, it would be far more appropriate if a more-"

"Hear me out, Commander. She's done it before. It has to be her. She knows how to do it. She wouldn't require training to learn the technique, and if it's her, my son will grasp the situation more quickly. He will know what to do."

"Fine. Summon Kuchiki fuku-taicho here immediately, Sasakibe fuku-taicho." The Soutaicho conceded to the point of the older Kurosaki; Kuchiki had transferred powers before to the boy. She knew the process. It would be most efficient to send her to carry out the deed.

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><p>Rukia ran with all her might to reach the office upon receipt of the hell butterfly.<p>

"Soutaicho, you sent for me?" The dark haired girl queried as she walked into her superior's office. It was then that her eyes fell upon two people she least expected to see again. "Urahara? Kurosaki-san?"

Kurosaki. A name she hadn't uttered in seventeen months fell from her lips. Sure, it wasn't a name she used often in reference to her Kurosaki, and _even now_ it wasn't in reference to her Kurosaki, but the name still made her heart stop. Her Kurosaki was an orange haired buffoon who saved the world at his own expense and could understand things in her heart by just reading her eyes.

_Her _Kurosaki? No, that wasn't… he wasn't hers. She didn't own him. He did not belong to her. Not now, not ever.

Why were his father and Urahara here? Why was she called forth to the office of the Soutaicho? This state of affairs just didn't make any sense.

"Rukia-chan!" Isshin waved, smiling broadly.

"Kuchiki-san!" Urahara Kisuke smirked from behind his fan.

"Kuchiki fuku-taicho, you have been called here as it appears a less than appealing situation in the Living World has occurred. Kurosaki Isshin will explain. Please sit."

"Hai."

Rukia sat down at the table indicated by the Captain Commander with the two bearded men.

"Rukia-chan, Ichigo is in serious trouble."

"Kurosaki-kun needs your help, Kuchiki-san."

"Ichigo's in trouble? Why? What's going on?"

"Rukia-chan, calm yourself and listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you."

Rukia nodded dumbly. How could Ichigo be in trouble? Was he okay? What happened? Why were Urahara and Kurosaki-san here if he was in trouble?

"Ichigo has met a group of people who identify themselves as fullbringers."

"Fullbringers? What are they?" Rukia interrupted.

"A fullbringer, so to speak," Urahara interjected, "is someone whose parents came in contact with hollows and now they have developed supernatural powers. Kurosaki-kun has been training with them and has developed his own fullbring power."

"They are 'helping' him to get his powers back."

"I fail to see the problem. It's not unlike Ichigo to go off and train with strange people to get his powers."

"No. But these people have complicated motives, Rukia-chan. Their leader is a man by the name of Ginjo Kugo– "

"The first substitute shinigami?"

"Hai, you got that in one, Kuchiki-san! How did you know about that? It's not common knowledge."

Rukia blushed bright red and looked at the table. Isshin caught his friend's eye and gave him a knowing look.

"He is working in tandem with a man called Tsukishima Shukuro, a man who has the ability to insert himself to the past of whoever he slashes. He has already altered the past of my daughters, Inoue-san, Sado-kun, and Tatsuki-san amongst other whom Ichigo regularly associates. They believe Tsukishima is a beloved friend or family member, whom they'd do anything for – even to the point of fighting against Ichigo."

"What do they want?"

"Ichigo's fullbring powers, from what we can tell. It appears that Tsukishima has slashed Ginjo and made him remember him as an enemy. He has also done this to the other members of the fullbringers group – the Xcution."

"We think their plan is to get all of Kurosaki-kun's family and friends to turn against him, to make him weak against them – how could he fight against those he cares for? I bet that's what they're thinking."

Rukia nodded. Ichigo couldn't fight them if his friends and family were stopping him. He couldn't cut them down; it wasn't in his nature.

"Then, Tsukishima will slash the Xcution members to make them remember him as their ally, and their true purpose in training my boy. Then they'll take his powers, and leave. It's not clear what they intend to use the powers for."

"What can we do?" Rukia asked, almost hopeless.

"Well, Rukia-chan, that's precisely where you come in."

"How? Do I need to go to the Living World and fight with him against these fullbringers?"

"Well, you will need to go to the Living World and probably will end up in a fight with the Xcution members, however, that is not the purpose we sought an audience with you."

"It's not?" Rukia was really confused now.

"No, Kuchiki-san." Urahara fanned himself. "Isshin and I have made a special sword which has no form or purpose, other than to contain reiatsu. Yoruichi, Isshin and I have supplied the sword with reiatsu, as have the Captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13."

"So you want me to put reiatsu into the sword too? But what for?"

"To reinstate my son's shinigami status."

"You want to make Ichigo into a shinigami again? But didn't he hate it? He hated seeing ghosts…"

"I know you know better than that, Kuchiki-san."

"Ichigo missed his powers enough to learn fullbring."

"He's desperate. What happened?" Rukia knew that Ichigo despised help from anybody, especially if they seemed shady or had an ulterior motive. Something must have happened.

"Ishida-kun got attacked. Karin and Yuzu got attacked. It was their doing, but they acted like they were helping Ichigo and he didn't know that the reason his sisters and friend were attacked were because of them. The only reason he went with them was because he –"

"He wanted to protect again, didn't he?" Rukia's voice was very quiet.

"Ah. You know my son very well." Isshin smiled. This was indeed the right thing to do. Thank you, Masaki. "Now, we require someone whom my son explicitly trusts, who knows how to successfully transfer reiatsu to another person and has a deep understanding of my boy. This person needs to know how to pull my boy out of the funk he is likely to be in by the time we get back to the Living World."

"That person is you, Kuchiki-san." Urahara finished from behind his fan.

"M-me? Shouldn't it be you Kurosaki-san?"

"I've never transferred reiatsu to anyone."

"I –" Rukia started. "Wait. You think Ichigo trusts me? That I understand that buffoon? That I can pull him out of his 'funk'?" She used her fingers as quotation marks.

"You have saved that boy's skin more than once and you put him in his place whenever he is down. Of course he trusts you."

"Only you meet all of the requirements, Kuchiki-san." Urahara grinned. The pair of older men had backed the Kuchiki into a corner. There was no way she'd say no.

"H-hai."

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><p><strong>Please let me know if you liked it - and if you want me to upgrade this to multi-chap! Thanks again for reading!<strong>


	2. Deliverance

**Bish, bash, bosh! Chapter 2 done and dusted and that's this little two-shot finished!  
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**A lot is just taken from the manga (I don't know how accurate the translations became, they may be different in other scans). I stopped where I did, because I'd otherwise just be writing the manga out for you all.  
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**I really hope you like it!**

**Please review!**

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><p>"Wonderful!" Urahara clapped his hands together and handed the dark haired girl the special sword.<p>

"Please allow those whom have been called into the office now, Sasakibe fuku-taicho." The commander understood that everything needed to happen fast. There was only so much time they had to dispatch the assembled team to the World of the Living before it was too late.

The door swung open and in marched a group of people. The group comprised of Rukia's brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, his vice-captain and her oldest friend, Abarai Renji, 11th squad's Madarame Ikkaku and his Captain Zaraki Kenpachi and finally 10th squad's Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro.

"Now, Rukia-chan, place in as much reiatsu as you have to spare, bearing in mind you're about to fight."

"Yes." Rukia nodded with a small, tight smile. She gripped the sword and focused her reiatsu. She wanted Ichigo to know she'd done it for him. She wanted him to know that she would never ever regret giving him her reiatsu, and would do it over and over if necessary. This was just proof. He saved her life, multiple times. He changed Soul Society, for the better. He was… amazing. To think that one person could be everything to her was… scary.

The handle glowed with a bright blue as she passed reiatsu into the blade. After five minutes, she was done. She could spare no more, particularly as she had a fight upcoming.

"Well done, Kuchiki-san."

Rukia nodded and stood next to Hitsugaya taicho in front of the Soutaicho's desk.

"This is the task force we have decided upon for the upcoming mission to the Living World. Kuchiki fuku-taicho will be the one to pass the powers of the shinigami to Kurosaki Ichigo. Where necessary, eliminate any who seems to be a threat. Remember, these fullbringers have a variety of powers, largely unseen by us in the Gotei 13, be cautious."

"Hah! I just hope they're fun to fight."

"Zaraki taicho."

"Anyway," the Captain Commander raised a white eyebrow at the taicho who interrupted him, but continued on regardless. He had long become used the 11th Squad's Captain's ways. "Once all threat are eliminated, you are to return here. Am I clear?"

"Hai!"

"Sasakibe fuku-taicho and Urahara have prepared the gate. Take your leave."

The aging leader pointed the group in the direction of the gate.

Isshin spoke up. "Urahara, Rukia-chan and I will go on ahead. In five minutes, follow us."

His small speech was met with quiet nods. The father of Kurosaki Ichigo placed a large hand on the shoulder of the youngest Kuchiki present. "Let's go, Rukia-chan."

"Let us leave."

The three of them walked into the gate.

Rukia sucked in a deep breath as she approached her destination. She really hadn't been given much time to work everything all out. The minute she agreed to Kurosaki-san and Urahara's plan, everything was go, go, go it seemed!

She was about to see Ichigo again, after so long. A year and a half, approximately, she noted mentally.

I wonder if he'll like my hair cut? What should I say to him? What will he say to me? Did he miss me, or just his shinigami powers? Will he be pleased to see me? I wonder how he has changed. I bet he grew taller, damn strawberry!

The gate opened, unbeknownst to all present. Rukia took in the situation.

Ichigo…no…Ichigo…don't cry…please don't cry…Ichigo...don't...

She hated watching him cry on his hands and knees like that in the pouring rain. He had really lost all hope. Baka.

It was clear he couldn't see her the way she could see him. There was no power emanating from him; if there was he would not be crouched down so helplessly.

"Give it back…! Give it back, Ginjo… give my power back!"

"What?" Ginjo spat. "You're joking. Its power I gave back to you. It belongs to me! I'm sparing your life, even though you're useless now. The least you could do is thank me."

"Ginjo!" Ichigo yelled, pulling himself up onto his feet, ready to go after the villain. "Ginjo!"

Wasting no time at all, Rukia positioned herself behind the younger Kurosaki, and in front of the elder Kurosaki and Urahara and thrusted the sword forward, through the chest of her beloved orange haired idiot.

Ichigo stopped stock still. Now what? He turned his head, and came face to face with his father and his former mentor Urahara.

"Dad…? Urahara…san….?" He blinked as he placed a hand upon the sword that was thrust through his chest from behind. "That is it, then…? Dad, you too? That's how it is…?" Tears were rolling down his face, becoming mingling with the rain.

Isshin sighed. He always knew his son was a moronic one. "You idiot. It wasn't me who stabbed you. Look closely. You should be able to see their form by now, just who is holding that sword!"

Slowly but surely, her petite feminine form became visible to his amber eyes, which widened once he had positively identified her. "Rukia!"

All too soon the bright blue light exploded from the sword in Rukia's hand. When the dust cleared, Ichigo was, once again, clad in a shinigami's uniform.

Ginjo's face turned from smug to complete shock. "That's…impossible…"

"Rukia – "

"Yeah," she sighed as she took in his form. "It's been a while, Ichigo." A soft smile adorned her face.

"You've gotten quite stur –"

"I haven't, you fool!" Rukia screamed as she delivered a flying kick to Ichigo's face.

"Ouch!" He yelped in pain. The little wench always knew how to hit him where it hurt.

"You were weeping like a weakling! How come as soon as I'm not watching over you, you just turn into a coward?" Is it because you miss me, and maybe even need me? "Ahh, how shameful!"

Ichigo had no words to respond with. He knew he deserved everything she did and said. She always knew how to kick him into shape. He just couldn't believe she was here.

"I was told about Tsukishima's power. To "be able to change people's past"… It is no doubt a dreadful ability. But… so what?"

What does she mean 'so what?'? Rukia, what are you saying?

"He may be able to change your past, but he cannot change your future! The bonds you lost, you can just create them again! Am I wrong, Ichigo?"

"Che." A serene smile spread across his face, before the look became sarcastic. "Rukia, can I say something? Actually, he didn't change my past!"

The sword in Rukia's hand flew up towards his face, which he narrowly dodged.

"Don't interrupt me with that face!"

"That was close!" Ichigo yelled. "That's dangerous, you idiot! Sure, we haven't met in a while, but there's no need to be so harsh on me!"

"Fool!" Rukia responded. "This sword has no edge!"

Confusion took over. "By the way, why is that?"

"This is a sword Urahara prepared for you. Thanks to this, I was able to transfer the shinigami powers to you again!" A smile crept up on her lips. This was easier than I thought it'd be. It's exactly like before.

Isshin watched the scene with mild amusement. Yes, one day, those two were going to produce him some precious and beautiful grandbabies.

But first they had to deal with these fullbringers.

"Hah!" Ginjo interrupted, with a triumphant look upon his evil face. "Cut the nonsense. He might look like a shinigami now, but that doesn't mean his powers are back! The first time you succeeded in transferring your shinigami powers to him only because Kurosaki already had them inside of him. But now he has none!" His eyes narrowed. "I took them from him. Completely! How can one person's reiatsu make his powers come back, when he has nothing?

"Idiot," yelled a voice familiar to Ichigo. "Rukia isn't alone!"

Finally, Ichigo felt ready to fight this battle. There were people on his side, who remember him.

Rukia noticed the change in his demeanour immediately. I'm glad.

Let's do this Ichigo, and maybe, we can go back to how was like before the world turned its back on humanity and delivered us the likes of this Ginjo and Aizen.

She knew exactly what to say to him now. She knew he would win. She never doubted him.

She knew now why she was chosen by Isshin.

Thank you, Kurosaki-san.


End file.
